L'aura del Campo

M'aider: May Day mayday for the USA

This entry is to provoke discussion! All and any views are welcome; although, please be civil.

May Day = International Labor Day.
mayday = help! from m'aider, the French for 'help me'.

I am not certain about solutions to the immigration issue and migration problems the U.S.A. or world is facing. However, I do have opinions. Since the national government seems to have no solutions either, I feel that it is time to open a discussion on this.

1.) May Day could become another international fiasco for Washington. Most people are not aware that the latino world is fundamentally upset about policies that threaten their livelihood and well-being. The Bush adminstration is doing little to allay their fears. If there is violence on Monday (and this is possible considering there may be millions in the streets) the country could be facing an internal upheaval not seen since the Civil Rights Era.

2.) Round-ups of immigrants, illegal or otherwise, have created hysteria within numerous communities. This creates a danger that the government is not prepared for. Those who do not remember the riots of the summer of '68 should speak to those who do. The government is lighting a match in a gun-powder factory. Beware the bang!

3.) The national anthem of Canada is sung in both French and English. Canada is legally bilingual. The U.S. while not legally monolingual is de facto 'English only' in spite of regional populations that have historically spoken French (Maine, Vermont, Louisiana), Spanish (New Mexico, parts of Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, California), Navajo (Arizona, New Mexico), Cherokee (Oklahoma, North Carolina), et cetera ... Why not allow people to sing the anthem in any or all languages? Why not a hundred versions?

My opinion is this:

The national government should promote unity not set populations against each other. North America, presently divided into 3 nations, needs a European solution. One common market (including health insurance, minimum wage). Multi-cultural and multi-lingual. English, French and Spanish as official languages, de facto 'lingua francas'. All other smaller, minor or local languages having rights.

By making the anthem and language an issue, Bush has kept to the political-cultural line that sounds quite IMPERIAL (We, of the English Speaking, Culturally English Stiff Upper Crust ...): 'nothing will change', 'we will not allow this to change'. Yet, everything changes. Both English and Spanish are international languages that will not disappear due to government policies. Both have a power base within the family home and through international business. To promote one over the other is to ignore the history that although governments can affect language policies, cultures can resist through many changes of leadership. Unless a people wish to commit cultural suicide, the culture will persist.

I believe that Bush and his administration and to a great extent the Republican Party has persued policies that inject fear and suspicion into the populace as a means of control. The economy and the War (yes war) in Iraq are more manageable when Crises (issues elevated to provoke fear) are created that divert our attention elsewhere.

I believe there is increasing fear that the hegemony of the here-characterized 'White Male Priviledged Christian Class' (no matter how defined) that has been diluted by the Civil rights extended to Jews, African-Americans and Women during the 60s and 70s will be further diluted by extending rights to other populations that speak other languages, religions and have different cultural icons.

To me, this crisis is created by the remnants of the old WASP upper-class to maintain power by creating fear among he middle classes and white lower classes of the underclass and other marginalized populations. Without an easy identifiable enemy, it is important to create one (in this case a hispanic scapegoat will suffice).

I expect many to disagree. However, I do not expect Washington to listen to us, no matter our stance, pro or con, on this issue.

RULES: I reserve the right to delete all comments as well as the right to leave comments, no matter how much I disagree. PLEASE, PLEASE keep comments reasonably short. DON'T ATTACK PEOPLE, JUST IDEAS If you must go over 200 words, I suggest making an item in your portfolio or blog and linking it here. I'd prefer to get as many divergent comments as possible. The more the merrier.